Under the Norse Sea
by TapTapAlways
Summary: In a world where humans live in fear for their water-living mere-predators, also known as mermaids, Steve has lived a rather peaceful life in a small village all his life, until he meets Mere-Prince Loki and falls in love. What does life have in store for two such different lovers?
1. The Flight

_So, this is an Avergers AU set in a verse where mermaids or merpeople live in the seas and hunt humans as food for their pet wales and sharks. Humanity has been halted in progress as their magical predators tear down any structures which befoul the sea or otherwise are harmful to their precious nature, so_ _technology_ _has never come very far, especially in the smaller villages where most people live. No scooba-diving equipment has been invented; exploring the seas is a far less tempting concept when there's mermaid predators luking down there._

 _Merpeople_ _have more sofisticated technology, run by tidal-harvesting tecnology (it is a kind of water-powered electricity, on a mere experimental stage in our world. Think of it as the aquatic version of wind-power) but greatly live by their magic and what nature gives._

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Steve could never quite recall just how it had all begun. As someone who had grown up hearing of the dangers of the rivers or open waters, brought up to fear mere-people, he really wasn't sure how he had fallen in love with one. Nor, he suspected, could Loki have cleared it up an awful lot. It just happened that way. Sunny days down by the estuary, his feet dipped recklessly into the water and Loki's clever fingers entwined with his as they just kissed for hours. Those memories, they both cherished.

They both remembered startlingly vividly though, the night they came for him. When the villages found out and decided to hunt Steve, his mother and his eleven years old little sister. They had fled down to the riverside upstream from the lake, in the cold and the dark, but different from any sunny afternoon, Loki hadn't been there.

The mere-guards had not been far though, sensing the disturbance keenly with their sharp senses and their well-honed magic. Steve's little sister had screamed in a way that could have made any heart ace, thinking they would drown her, like in all of the stories, as they pulled her under. Her fear was not unwarranted, on the whole.

Steve could still remember the feeling of the fear; the cold, pressing water and the growing dark, as they dragged them deeper and deeper. He had started to feel himself slipping away; losing consciousness, a firm hand covering his mouth and nose, when there was suddenly air to breathe again.

A small magical light was all that lit the tiny bubble-like structure, halfway down into the sea. Loki had told him about those, outposts that allowed them to bring humans down into their depths, allowing for pauses in the swims, during which captives - or guests - could breathe.

Loki had often spoken of his home in the depths, but they had never discussed the future. Sometimes, he wondered if it was because Loki guessed how it would end, but wanted to allow him the sun, for as long as possible. Perhaps he knew what Steve would fear, and that there was no reason to fear it. Or even what there was reason to be afraid of.

Steve had reached out a hand to touch the cool, hard surface of the magically built structure, feeling the smoothness of it; like glass, only stronger. Merpeople, referred to often as mermaids, lived most of their lives under the surface, deep into the water, where they frankly liked it best, but they used the magical bubbles, often overgrown with corrals over the years and thus referred to as corral-trees, to store things which kept better in air than they did in water.

Steve had no time to ponder about this though, he had barely time enough to catch his breath, before he was yanked back out into the freezing water and dragged further under.

It was mere minutes until he stood in a larger hall, still made to keep out the water - an unusual phenomena reserved for larger settlements where there was a need for more than small spaces containing air - dripping wet and holding his little sister close, the young girl clutching her brother close for all she was worth. And then, Loki was there, coming to take Steve into his arms, crashing their lips together desperately.

For a moment, Steve was afraid, afraid of what that desperation meant; but then Loki pulled away and whispered quick words of how scared he had been to hear of their danger, any reason to fear clearly past in his mind, and Steve found himself calming just a little bit.

This was when the merpeople's king arrived at the scene, expression stern but not unkind, immediately making the decission to send Steve's mother and sister down to the quarters reserved for human servants, as the older woman was a skillful seamstress and thus could be useful. There was no talk at all about sending them away, or even of hurting them.

After they had left, both looking worriedly after Steve, Odin, ruler of the seas, looked Steve over very carefully, spoke some to his son in their own language, and waved them away with a small gesture of his left hand.

Loki, without hesitation, took Steve by the hand and led him over to one of the magical doorways leading back out into the sea. "Hold your breath" he whispered, and then they were back in the water.


	2. Welcome Home

_How do you like it so far? Everyone loves reviews!_

 _I mean no copyright infringement and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

The next time he opened his eyes, Steve stood with Loki in a small room, like an elegant lounge, with the wall of sea behind them, a comfortable room before them, ending in a small door somewhat to the right on the wall straight ahead. Loki pulled him towards it.

"Father likes that you could meet his eyes" the prince noted as he led his human love through a curved corridor, showing artful doors both to the left and the right, and straight on a final door which Loki led him through.

It turned out to lead into a beautiful study, where a small fire was even lit. How the chimney worked, Steve couldn't for his life have worked out - what technology humans had was in the cities, not the dangerous but necessary coastal villages, and the meres were far ahead anyway, not to say magical - but it sure felt calming.

"Your family will live with the servants - they are quite safe there, don't you worry, but my father decided that we will be happiest here" Loki said by way of explanation, walking through the room on his lightly scaled, magically changed legs. Turning around, he frowned "oh, you are wet, I forgot. Shall we find you something dry to wear? I don't want you getting ill".

Reaching out a hand to lightly stroke Steve across his hands, he then interlocked their fingers and gently led Steve back into the corridor and then into one of the other doors, turning out to be a very peaceful bedroom, the clear bubble overgrown with sea-animals, making for the prettiest and most capticating view Steve had ever encountered.

He watched the colourful fishes swim between the sea-plants and corrals outside as Loki rummaged through a small wardrobe, getting things out which no doubt fit Steve's muscular frame perfectly, before pulling him into the last room; a bathroom. "You should wash the salt off..." Loki gestured to the large, luxurious bath "down in the human lodgings, there is natural saltless water, but we cleanse it magically here..." he put the clothes down onto a beautifully crafted chair, suddenly looking nervous. "Steve. Please say something".

Swallowing, Steve cleared his throat "is your father alright with... you know, you being with a human? Humans aren't very tolerant, so..." "I'm in love. My father is very wise - he knows the heart does what it likes, besides, he is glad that I seem happy now - with you. We meres value love... my father will not have an issue with us as long as you're good to me" Loki smiled at his human lover, hoping that it would reassure him. He did understand his nerves - after all, Steve had lost everything, seen his entire world change, within a matter of hours.

Smiling, however shaky the expression was, Steve quickly undressed and slid into the water, hoping to set Loki's nerves at ease by complying. He did not mean to make the love of his life nervous, after all.

As Loki joined him in the pleasantly warm water, Steve let himself relax for the first time in several hours, leaning his head against Loki's shoulder and taking a few deep breaths, his eyes drifting shut.

Smiling, Loki could feel the tension draining from his love, gently drawing patterns on his warm, wet skin. He had always found the feeling of Steve's dry skin foreign, and though fascinating, always preferred to be in the water, if at all possible.

When Steve opened his eyes again, minutes later, looking up towards his lover, Loki bent down to press their lips together, and in the peaceful, silent, pleasantly if dimly lit room in the ever warm water, they kissed and kissed and kissed until faded sunlight filtered down through the water announcing morning and daybreak.


	3. I Do Love You

_This must be the most random story I've ever written... And I am not afraid of being a bit random on occasion. Also fluffy. Very fluffy. I mean no copyright infringement and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Loki left Steve sleeping in their soft bed and somewhat gratefully, if also with some regret, changed his form back to his natural one, swimming back down to his father's castle, and his own rooms. He had always loved it there, but he was grateful to have privacy with Steve. Then, of course, there was Steve and air. He had to be able to breathe, after all, and needed much more sleep than Loki did, too. No doubt, he'd be comfortable there.

It was true enough; he was, for a while. Then came the longing for his family. They were close, but Steve was in all practical ways trapped, confined to the luxurious quarters he didn't quite share with Loki. And Loki was rarely if ever there when he woke.

It had only been three days of their new situation when Loki first started to notice a difference in Steve. His human lover had started out being what he at least had thought was pretty content - his family safe and them being able to be together, but he was quickly growing restless and - far more perplexing - seemingly grew more sad every time Loki saw him.

"Steve?" Loki stepped into the little study, where there was a merry fire burning, to find Steve sitting in what could only be described as an upright fetal position. When he first came here, he had often been sitting by the edge of the bubble, watching the sealife outside with fascinated attention, but Loki hadn't caught him doing that at all for the last two days.

Walking up towards his lover, Loki gently ran a hand down his shoulder, hoping to catch his attention. "Are you alright?" Steve looked up, smiling with what Loki recognised well as an attempt at reassurance by now. "Yeah... just... I miss my mother and sister". "Oh" Loki blinked and bent closer, nuzzling his neck. "I can come bring you in the mornings if you like. Or send someone I trust for that matter... You do not have to stay in here all the time" he gently nuzzled Steve's neck with his nose "this isn't a prison, you know".

Steve looked up, and Loki found his heart breaking somewhat at the look in his eyes " isn't it? Did you hear your father when you brought me by to see him yesterday?" Confused, Loki sat down next to him on the bed "what do you mean? You do not need to be afraid of my father, Steven. He likes you".

"Oh, but I do!" Steve took a quick, shuddering breath "you do realise he could have my entire family killed if he wanted to?". Agast, Loki merely stared at him as Steve continued, no longer looking at him "he... he told me to 'be good' to you. I wish I knew what he meant - I know a threat when I see one..."

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but found he had no words. What could he say? He did not believe for a moment that his father had meant to threaten Steven, but he also knew that he could be very intimidating, and there was no doubt some seriousness there, never mind that what his father had doubtlessly meant was merely standard "be good to my child now, you hear" and not a serious threat, the way Steven had clearly taken it. And the thought that Odin would drown two innocent women for someone else's crime... No, Loki couldn't see that. But then again, he knew his father, and his lover didn't.

After a brief hesitation, Loki pressed his lips into Steven's hair. "My father forgets how intimidating he can be. He would never harm your family, love, I promise". "I don't want to displease your father" Steven mumbled "and how can I be with you if that is what I think of?" Loki felt himself go cold "how can I love you, if I am not your equal?" "Steven..." Loki begged, tears appearing at the corners of his eyes.

Then, suddenly, Steve was kissing them away "it isn't about trust, because I do trust you. I do not believe... No, I know, that you wouldn't give me away, you wouldn't run to your father if we did not agree... And I want to be with you... Always. I just never thought of... We were always afraid to be caught, back up on the surface - but what would happen here? I do not know, and that scares me, because I suddenly realise I still have just as much to lose".

"The consequences would depend on why anyone came to our private quarters in the first place" Loki was relieved for something he could actually answer to "my father wouldn't be happy to see me neglect my duties to be with you. But I am not, and he wouldn't hurt you, Steven, even if we did fall out. I know my dad, love. I know he scared you, but all he meant was literally what he said. And you _are_ good to me. My father knows that, or else you wouldn't be here".


	4. Love You

_I just realised that this is a slash-story... Took me long enough. See, I_ can _write romance that isn't canon, I just... Usually don't have those bunnies in my mental gardens. Probably because they're in everybody else's. Perhaps you have tastier carrots?_

 _TM stands for TuringMachine, and is the original name for what later became known as computers. The meres use them as they rescued Turing when he was imprisoned for being gay, and he happily lived out his life in the sea, designing things and growing to be over eighty years old as they never chemically castrated him._

 _I mean no copyright infringement and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

It had been a year since their rushed escape and the terrifying swim down into the sea, and Steven could honestly say that he found it to be home now. He was used to wake alone in the large bed and spend the morning by himself, reading or playing with his TM, until Loki joined him for breakfast, or it was delivered for him to eat alone when Loki was required to eat with his family, but that was rare as they both ate dinner with their families instead, before withdrawing home for supper and the rest of the evening.

After breakfast, Loki would take Steven to the large bubble where he got to spend the day with the other humans living in the mere capital. It was the largest mere settlement, but not the one where the most humans lived, Loki's mother had patiently explained in her kindly way.

Steve liked to talk to the mere queen, though he still avoided her husband somewhat. Time had proven to him that Loki was right and Steven did not at all need to fear his father, but he still found him intimidating. Odin didn't seem to mind, instead making sure to be kind when he did encounter his 'son-in-law'.

Jane, the beautiful mere who was married to Loki's older brother Thor, was also very good company, as were her fellow scientists, both humans and meres.

Steve looked up from his book at a knock, walking through their home to find Natasha, a mere-warrior, standing in the living room. He had finally realised after some months that the meres referred to as "warriors" were a different species, and felt very foolish when he did. After all, Natasha had very scary-looking claws, something which Loki certainly didn't have. Obvious, really.

"Loki is swimming with the dolphins and the fish at sunset as usual, then he will come to you" she told him. "Do you still wish to spend the day in here, or shall I bring you somewhere?" "I will stay in today. Will you make sure someone tells my mother?" Steve asked. With a confirming nod, the warriormer was gone again.

Loki found Steven in bed, several hours later, reading on his TM with a satisfied smile.


	5. I Miss You Already

_So, here's some plot! Ish. Really ish. If anyone wonders, Tony is living in the other human underwater settlement; busy designing stuff for the meres._

 _I mean no copyright infringement and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Steve's head jerked up violently as Odin, ruler of the seas, abruptly came into his and Loki's sitting room without warning or knocking. Debating briefly whether or not he ought to rise, he gave up the thought as the mere gestured to him not to bother. "Loki is sick" he said without preamble. Steve gulped. He _had_ wondered why his lover hadn't come by all day, but he could hardly go out and ask somebody, now could he?

And it was only mid-afternoon; he had assumed Loki would come when he was done with his duties for a while. "Is it bad?" Odin almost shrugged, which Steve found comforting; the mere would never react in such a way if his son had actually been in danger.

"Pneumonia. Another kind than you humans get, but near enough". Steve felt himself how pale he became. Pneumonia. That was bad. Granted the mers had medical expertise five million miles ahead of what humans had, but still...

"Don't be alarmed" the king looked at his for all intents and purposes son-in-law kindly. "Meres get a lot of water in our lungs during a lifetime, small accidents and the like, and that can lead to pneumonia if we are unlucky. We truly breathe with our gills, though, so though we become sick, it is not lifethreatening". He smiled at seeing the clear relief in the human's eyes.

"Loki is very magical and he shows no signs of sickness; he asks for you though, and he cannot breathe the same air you do, right now - his lungs are unusable for a few days, before they will heal".

"Oh, of course" Steve swallowed. He was relieved to hear that Loki would recover, and wasn't in pain, but he missed him already. It made him think of the early days of their relationship, when Loki didn't come out of the water, instead playing around his legs where Steve was sitting on the river bank, tugging gently and tickling his feet. Before he knew, and could convince himself that he better not, he found himself sharing this memory with Odin; if perhaps not all of it.

The mere ruler found himself smiling in approval, but then he was suddenly frowning in thought, throwing Steve off as he just nodded a goodbye and left, because Odin had just gotten an idea.


	6. A Clever Idea

_And here comes the answer to what Odin is up to!_

 _I mean no copyright infringement and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Steve spent the rest of the afternoon walking through his and Loki's rooms, feeling restless and having trouble settling down. He knew that Loki would be alright, of course, he couldn't imagine Odin ever lying to him, but the thought of not getting to see him for perhaps more than a week made him edgy in its own right. Not to mention that if his lover was sick, then he wanted to be there!

It was after dinner that Odin appeared again, telling Steve a little high-handedly to come with him. Steve was nervous as he stepped up to the mere-king and let him take him out into the water, even though he was now very much adept at holding his breath while travelling between the bubbles; rarely having swam with anyone but Loki or Natasha. It had always made him feel very cherished, this protectiveness Loki could display when it came to him.

As Steve opened his eyes again at the feeling of air against his skin, and then took in a breath, he noted that the ruler of the seas had taken him into a bubble that had to be newly made. He had spent plenty of time in the system of magical bubbles where the meres stored things and where his sister and mother lived, and had visited the little observatory which also contained air.

He lived in the one which had previously, he had learnt, been a sort of private office for the royal family, mostly a retreat for Loki in the later years, which he supposed was very fitting, and he knew of the one, slightly higher up, like the observatory, where the meres kept their prisoners.

This bubble fit none of those descriptions. It reminded him of those sunny days by the river he had told the king about, and even more so of an indoor swimming pool. Being new, all the sides were clear from corrals, and there was nothing but the magic separating it from the water outside, especially since there was water here, as well.

There was ground to one side, and around the sides of the bubble, where one could sit or stand, but the bubble itself was filled about half-way up with water. Steve had just taken this in when he realised something which made him stop all other observations.

Swimming in the water in this protected, poolside bubble, was Loki. It was a clever idea, of course, using this magic to create an environment like the riverside, where sea and air could meet, allowing them both to breathe, but Steve was in no position to judge the engineering of the idea, instead focusing entirely on his lover.

Loki looked well, and as always when Steve spotted him beneath the surface, he looked strong and handsome, even more so than he did on land. He was broken out of his study by Odin's voice. "Humans cannot be infected by our kind of pneumonia, so it is perfectly safe". At Steve's lack of movement, the mere-king frowned.

"What are you waiting for?" "Is it though?" Steve asked with a frown of his own. "What if I somehow make it worse?" "There is no risk for that. Mers do not catch any illnesses from humans" the king's frown had become a wide smile, and as Steve sat down on the side of the protected pond; contained inside of magic, deep down in the sea, the concerned father left, allowing for some privacy for his son and his lover.


	7. Love Conquers Everything

_And here comes the unashamed fluff. What, you thought I'd forgotten? There's_ always _fluff when_ I'm _writing. In fact, sometimes I wonder if that's not the sole reason I even write fanfiction. Well that, and terrible endings I cannot sleep if I don't fix._

 _I mean no copyright infringement and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Steve smiled widely as he felt Loki's hand wrap firmly around his ankle. Any other mere, and he would have been afraid they were going to pull him under, but in this case he recognised it for what it was; a caress, gentleness, possessiveness, possibly, and most of all a desire to be close.

Reaching down to caress the mere's hair tenderly, Steve silently said his thanks that this had not happened earlier. He doubted very much that Loki could hear him with his ears under so much water, and he knew that meres couldn't speak - not any language which humans could understand, anyway - without their lungs.

As little as a year ago, and they would have been very much at a loss without words, but now... well, Steve thought as he ran a hand across Loki's cheek, smiling as the mere rested his head against his leg. Now they were just happy to be together, and words were not needed.

Still smiling, Steve let himself slip into the water, kissing his lover tenderly. Instead of coming back up to the surface immediately, Steve merely opened his mouth, allowing Loki to breathe for them both. They had perfected these long, oxygen-sharing kisses in their bath, funnily enough, but Steve was happy for it now, as they truly were separated by their differences. It was all very clear, when Loki couldn't come to his element, just how different they were.

Not that it mattered, Steven decided, as he breathed out through his nose, careful not to breathe in that way, entangling his hands in Loki's long hair as they settled against the bottom of the magical bubble.

Someone, likely Loki, had had the foresight to make it so that the water inside this private little lake in the middle of the sea was not salt, and Steven was grateful, as he found it possible to open his eyes beneath the surface, not that he bothered to do so for long, when Loki's long, strong fingers danced across his shoulderblades, as if exploring him anew.

Steven wanted to ask how the prince was, but now, almost two years into their romance, careful fingers against Loki's chest did that well enough, and the mere smiled in response, stroking calmingly against his human lover's neck in responce, securely conveying the message that he was just fine.

Loki could not get enough of kissing Steve in this way. In their bath, training how to kiss so that they never needed to break away, letting Loki breathe for both of them by way of his gills, it had been nothing but an amusing game, completely unnecessary but very amusing none the less.

Now, when one of them could only breathe in the water and one could only breathe air, it was the only way they could kiss or truly hold one another at all. Running a hand through Steven's now much longer (though still very short by mere-standards) hair, Loki, opened his eyes to watch his lover.

Steve was lying comfortably, or at least it looked that way, resting on the smooth surface of the magical bubble Loki had -on his father's suggestion- constructed earlier in the evening, letting himself be cradled by the prince's body, the human's head safely held by Loki's right hand.

The human -his beloved lover- had his eyes closed and seemed quite content to run his hands across Loki's face, neck and hair. Loki could not but admit that he felt content too. He could lie here forever.

Of course, and Loki knew this, that was not practical. They may have perfected the art of sharing air, and the water had been magically cleansed of salt, for Steve's sake - Loki had long ago learnt that it was not healthy for humans to be covered in salt for long periods of time - but there were still limits to how long human skin could be immersed in water, for one thing. Besides that, there were a million other things, and Loki had to smile into the long kiss. It was a nice fantasy though, just kissing forever.

He cradled Steve closely in his arms, taking his time to cherish getting to hold him, aware that it would be rare for a few days, until his lungs had healed and were capable of providing his lungs with oxygen, once more.

Steve seemed aware of this too, clinging to his lover in a way Loki wasn't quite used to, but found supremely nice. He traced his jaw, cheekbones and even his closed eyes, and would have broken off the kiss to kiss Steven's cheekbones, neck and throat instead, but as it were, he knew that he couldn't. It would have to wait.

All too soon, Loki, kicked of from the bottom of the bubble and carried them both upwards, letting Steven swim the last few feet by himself, staying under for now, but coming very close to the surface, close enough to touch, if not to speak, indulging himself by kissing Steven's still water-covered body and being rewarded with an almost reverent hand in his hair, cupping his jaw.

Life wasn't always perfect - in fact, right now their love was hell - but they would persevere, and they would always love - together.


	8. I Never Want To Be Without You

_So, this little story was supposedly complete... but I don't feel done with it, so - here's some more. Because these two are really cute, I think. What do you think?_

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Steve jolted awake and almost fell out of bed as a hand came to rest on his abdomen. He had been sleeping alone for days, as Loki still healed from his lungs having been damaged from pneumonia, having to instead rely entirely on his gills for oxygen.

Now though, as he looked up, he was met by the green eyes of his lover, and Loki smiled in greeting, that cheeky, but sincerely happy smile he reserved for his human alone. Steve had to smile back. "Hey... you alright?" he sat up faster than he had intended, suddenly worried.

Loki sat down on the bed, reaching out a hand to stop Steven from moving any further, not wanting the mortal to move out of reach when he finally could touch him again. "I'm fine. I can breathe just _fine_. Calm down, love".

"Hi..." Steve said again, smiling even more widely this time. "I've missed you". "I missed you too..." Loki smiling in response "I love you". "I love you too" Steve leaned into Loki's hand and closed his eyes. He had missed this more than he could say.

Steve didn't struggle for dominance as Loki climbed into bed and pressed him into it as he eagerly pressed their lips together. "Mmm" was Steve's only comment as he felt a hand tangling into his hair and holding him still; not that it mattered, as he had absolutely no plans of moving. Ever.

It felt like ages later when they finally broke apart, and at the same time, like no time at all. At least, it wasn't nearly enough. Maybe it never would be. Neither could ever imagine tiring of this.

"I am keeping the waterbubble" Loki decided in a low voice as he nuzzled Steve's neck with his nose "I liked it there". Steve felt his mouth move into a smile almost before he had time to register the words. "So did I. I just didn't appreciate leaving you there". "No... no one likes that part. I am better now, though" Loki promised, settling in next to Steven for the rest of the night.

"That sounds good. I've been worried" Steve rested his cheek against the prince's hair, feeling him nod against him. "I know. I am better now. And I am going nowhere for a very long time" he promised. Steve smiled sleepily in response. "I very much like that plan" he murmured softly, rewarded by a answering smile, matching his own. It was still dark, and they had many hours before the light of day would move them from their bubble, however temporarily. There was no need to move just yet.


	9. Nothing Like A Morning In Bed

_Is anyone still reading this? I am just lost in the fluff now... ahem..._

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Steve awoke with a smile on his face and the comfortable warmth of Loki in his arms, sighing in happiness at having him there again. The mere was sleeping peacefully, giving his human lover the impression that - while Steve had slept badly and less than usual on his own - the mere had slept even less, if at all. And he had been ill. Steve resolved to simply hold him until he had slept his fill.

It was several hours later, and Steven had drifted in and out of sleep, when Loki finally awoke, stretching his lithe limbs like a large, sleepy kitten, giving Steve an irresistible urge to kiss him on the nose.

"I am supposed to go swim through the sundown with my subjects tonight" Loki mumbled softly after his lover had indulged in this urge "but I never want to move ever again..." "it's a long way to sunset" Steve mumbled back into his lover's hair. "You're suggesting I will grow tired of you so easily?" Loki replied somewhat critically, speaking in turn into Steve's hair, the two of them tangled together and not wanting to move even an insh.

"No, not really, but I never said you'd never come back again" the human teased the mere playfully. "I could capture you and use you as a plaything" Loki murmured in reply, seemingly meant as a playful threat, but with his face hidden in Steve's hair, it mostly came off as a strange variety of a sweet murmur.

"No you can't" Steve critiqued softly "meres do not kidnap and use people. Drown them, yes, and feed them to sharks and killer whales, also yes, but not that". " No" Loki's smile was very amused - it was so obvious sometimes how much the human learnt from his mother and Thor's wife, as he almost sounded like them sometimes - "we only play with willing victims..." He grinned and shifted smoothly, making Steve end up underneath him.

"Obvious" the human scolded his mere partner, but still smiling no matter how critical against the move he pretended to be, and he let the mere prince kiss him without even feigning objection. It is hours before they even leave their bed.

When they finally did, the sun was so high in the sky that it slanted in through the masses of water, and they watched the colours in the water after they bathed, as they sat down in the cozy little study with a late-ish brunch.

"I have missed this" Loki confessed softly, as they sat together, close enough that their sides were touching. He raised a hand to stroke down the human's cheek, smiling as he leant into his hand, eyes automatically closing "so have I" Steve confessed in a low voice. "So have I".


	10. Will I Die Today?

_So, here comes a small effort to some sort of_ plot. _Just a very small one, mind you... Shall I continue on with this fluff-fest or is it time to round it off? Review and tell me!_

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Bucky had always worried a bit about Steve. Even after they hit puberty and he suddenly went from tiny to huge, growing an absolutely ridiculous amount, there was something about him that made Bucky worry for his friend.

When he first heard the rumour about his best friend associating with a mere, he hadn't believed it, but he had felt concerned all the same. When he woke one morning and found that Steve and his family had been driven from the village, he felt it as if he had a huge lump of lead in his stomach, but the worrying didn't stop.

The bodies were never found, and so their true fate went unknown. But now, dragged under - as happened to so many - and trapped in what seemed like a glass cage deeply underwater, he found himself thinking of his friend. Was he here, or was he dead? Ironically, and Bucky found himself smiling sadly, he was still worrying about what happened to Steve. Silly, really, with what fate likely awaited him within hours.

He turned a deaf ear to the other younger men from the village, who in a fit of what was not even courage but mere stupidity had decided on a casual fishing expedition, he looked out into the darkening water. There were lights lighting up the darkness below, some sort of structure like this one, overgrown with corrals and really quite pretty.

Except that, there was a single light in a smaller structure, making him think of the little lamp he had used to leave out as a signal to Steven years and years ago. Perhaps it was strange of him to think of him now, maybe there was nothing more natural. For a brief moment of indulgence, he allowed himself to imagine.

He let himself imagine that Steve was here somewhere; that the rumours of his mere lover were not malignant hearsay or Steven's innocent nature used by a mere, but honest truth. Living here somewhere, happy and cherished, a reality where they could meet again. Then, he sighed and, with a deep breath, turned back to the dark reality unflinchingly. Come what may.


	11. Like A Mere To Water

_Here we go - another lightly fluffy chapter, because we're enjoying it so much, aren't we? With that I mean me and my returning readers, because even reviews aside: why would anyone return to a story like this if they didn't like fluff?_

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Steve and Loki spent the first few days after the mere recovered from his illness being even closer than they usually were, the Prince spending more of the day with his lover, instead of leaving him with their families in the bigger bubble. Both sets of families were very understanding, and the two mothers had identical benevolent smiles when the subject ever came up.

It was about ten days after Loki's "return", and they had become somewhat more themselves, when Loki first brought Steve back to what Steve's little sister had christened "the waterbubble". Picking up quickly on how Loki enjoyed pretending to pull him under, Steve spent the afternoon humouring his lover, letting him drag him under the water only to then kiss him senseless, sharing oxygen.

It went without saying that if Steve truly _tried_ to get up out of the water, in earnest, Loki let him up every time. After allowing his playful lover his game for the fourteenth time, Steve stretched out on the solid ground next to the little pool, watching his lover swim. It seemed possible for meres of any kind to amuse themselves for any length of time just with water. He could not imagine any human ever taking such charming, childish delight in air.

Eventually, as Steve had to admit he grew very tired by holding his breath so often, an effort even with his habit of it these days, his eyes drifted shut and the next thing he knew was Loki's careful fingers in his hair, the mere mumbing his name affectionately, but also with some decisiveness. No urgency, but a definite sense that Loki needed him awake for some specific reason.

"Love?" "Mmm" Steve replied, opening his eyes. He immediately sat up when he saw the guarded expression on Loki's face. "Love, what is it? Is something wrong? Is..." this was where Loki stopped him. "Everyone is fine, love. I have just found out though... Natasha just came and told me something; we need to go and take a look in another bubble".


	12. Hate To See (But I Cannot Close My Eyes)

_So, this is an extra early chapter for my reviewer; Princess Prettypants, because she is awesome, her reviews always makes me smile, and I can totally relate on the monday pain thing._ Anything _to make mondays more bearable for_ anyone. _Oh, and this chapter is_ long _! :-) It is more angst than fluff though... but if you read last chapter you can probably guess that the fluff is on its way. In massive amounts!_

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Bucky awoke the next day in their transparent prison, trying to cut out the loud young men that had gotten them all captured, and who certainly had not understood just how bad their situation was. Bucky seriously doubted that the meres were going to let them live simply because of ego. No, not so likely.

Instead of taking part of the conversation - read, bragging - going on, Bucky kept looking out. Therefore, towards early noon, he was the first to see movement in that other other bubble, one that strangely had water _inside_ of it, too. Then what was even the point of it.

He realised just what mere moments later, as the mere who had entered dived into the water, while the human stayed on firm ground, sitting down at the edge of the small, protected pool. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Bucky realised that it was a playground. He gasped audibly and closed his eyes on instinct, when the mere pulled the human into the water. He had no words, even internally, for just how monstrous he found meres at that moment.

The next moment, he could have sword that humans were worse. The others, sharing his cell and having been alerted to the scene by Bucky's gasp, were clearly looking now, and they sounded as if it was the coolest thing they'd even seen, a few of them even cheering, as if not only entirely unaware that they might be next, but also without even a shred of empathy.

Trying to shut them out, Bucky tried his best not to wonder if that was how his best friend had died. Toyed with by a mere who was bored...

"Hey, Barnes!" James Barnes, Bucky, to his friends, looked up on instinct at hearing his name called. The guy who had hailed him looked positively smug. "Look who it is, about to be meremaid-food. It's your friend Steve!

Bucky looked out again so fast he almost got whiplash. They were right; it _was_ Steve. He watched his best friend with something between relief - relief at getting to see him one more time - and pure horror. He didn't want to watch his best friend die.

Steve, it seemed, and now that he was turned in the right direction, Bucky could only just make out his friend's face, had not yet realised what was going to happen, and seemed far from a panicked victim at the moment. He was relaxed, letting the very handsome mere run his hands over his skin without resisting or - at least what could be seen from this distance - seemingly feeling any fear as he played in the water with his darkhaired companion.

Bucky swallowed as he watched, suppressing tears as he watched what very likely was the last moments in the life of his best friend. Maybe irrationally, he wished he could be there. Be with him. That Steve at least knew he wasn't alone now.

This was as far as he came in his thoughts, when the mere took a strong grip around Steve's ankle and pulled him under. This time, there would be no coming up.

He tried to force himself to watch, but he couldn't do it. Meanwhile, his idiot companions were enjoying the show - they always had had a thing for teasing Steve. "Maybe he'll shout for you at the end" one of them mocked "or his mother" was the second suggestion. If he hadn't been far too preoccupied with other things, he would have rolled his eyes at their lack of imagination, but now he simply didn't care. So Bucky listened to their unrespectful sounds and waited, his eyes firmly shut. He didn't want to open them, to see Steven lying dead at the bottom of that little pool, but eventually he had to, and he gasped anew at what he saw.

The mere was kissing him, seemingly letting Steve share his air. They kept looking on, Bucky and his cellmates, as Steve was dragged under, again and again, until he started struggling in earnest, seemingly finally no longer enjoying the game. Playtime was over.

"Bucky, Bucky!" One of the stupid boys, never having grown up though he really ought to have done at his age, mocked, as Steven fought the mere. Then, to all of their surprise, the mere broke the surface of the water, dragging Steve up with him. Bucky was so busy being grateful for this small grace - small as it likely would mean nothing in only very little time - but which still meant everything; all of the world, that he didn't notice the clawed mere-warrior outside the walls of their cell looking up at the sound of his name, and frown at some implication only she could know of.


	13. I Always Knew I'd See You Again Someday

_And here comes the chapter we all have been waiting for: the_ fluff _!_

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

Letting Loki bring him through the sea - the pressure down here was far too much for a human to swim through easily, even if one of the human scientists working with the meres had invented a prototype recently for a machine acting like substitute gills - Steve opened his eyes again as he felt air against his skin.

He had lived here for a year, but this was the first time he had ever entered this particular bubble. Loki had brought him to the observatory once or twice, but never the cells. Steve was rather grateful for that fact.

Lacing his fingers tightly with his mere, Steve followed him, noting that Loki knew exactly where he was headed. Clearly, Loki had something particular in mind, but then again he would have never brought him here if he hadn't. What had Natasha said to him that was so very urgent?

Eventually, they stopped outside a door. "Natasha said there were mortals from the area of your village in one of the cells" Loki explained gently "they were watching you and me play in the water earlier. Apparently, one of them showed a lot concern for your well-being. Now, I don't want to get your hopes up, but she think they called him Bucky, and well... we have heard you mention that name before. She could be wrong, of course, but it is worth checking up, don't you think?"

 _Bucky's Pov_

Eventually, Steve had left the water, not being hindered in this cause by the mere, and - which was rather surprising, did his friend not realise what danger he was in? - eventually seemed to fall asleep. In fact, Bucky fell asleep watching him. Of course, when he woke back up, they were both gone, the bubble empty except for the water.

He had not been awake for long when there was a sound at the door, rather unusually; they were fed every morning, and that was about it. Bucky was less surprised than his companions though; it was inevitable they would come for one or all of them eventually.

He was, surprised, however, to recognise the darkhaired mere from the bubble at the door. There were other meres with him, and it was clear even from a brief glimpse of his interaction with them that he was someone very important. Then, in through the door stepped someone far more familiar, and Bucky barely had time for noticing his face, wearing a curious, half-hopeful, half-worried expression, before there was a brief shout and he was ingulfed in the strong arms of his best friend.

He barely noted the dark-haired mere say in a pleasant, deep but soft voice "well done, Natasha", preoccupied with looking Steve over. His clothes were wet, of course, just like theirs had been when they first came here, but he didn't look like he had been covered in itchy salt or shut away. Instead, he looked better than Bucky ever had seen him, healthy and happy and self-assured in a low-key way.

Their moment was cut short by someone at the door, peeking in and and saying respectfully "my prince, king Odin requests your presence in the castle hall". The darkhaired mere grimaced. "I will come. Help me move Steve and his friend, please. I will not leave him here" "Really, Clint" the mere with claws and red hair who had looked so strangely at him earlier rolled her eyes. "Your timing is terrible, love". "Sorry" the mere - who did not have claws, but looked more like their prince, Bucky noted - shrugged. "Not my idea".

The prince reached out for Steve, but rather than yanking him away like Bucky had half-thought he would, he gently entwined their fingers and let Steve come in his own pace, which he willingly did. "Love, this is James Barnes - Bucky, my best friend. Bucky, this is Loki Odinson, my lover. I guess you heard all the rumours up on the surface. Come, let's go home".

Baffled, Bucky let Steve's lover lead them both out of the bubble. "Hold your breath" Steve warned him, and then they were in the water. Steve in the arms of his mere-prince, and Bucky carried by that other mere - Clint. The swim was just as terrifying as last time, but far more quickly over, and suddenly Bucky found himself standing in a cosy little study, watching Steve kissing his lover goodbye in a casual way making it utterly clear that he had done so very many times before. This was normal, for him. And Steven had said _home_.

In a very short time, they were alone together for the first time in over a year, and Steve's smile was just as brilliant as Bucky remembered it.

"Come on" Steve urged, moving confidently to a small door in the wall "lets get rid of this salt and get some dry clothing. There's natural water sources down by the the rock bottom, but here it is magically cleansed. Meres don't really suffer from the salt, though Loki washes it away most of the time anyway. If he doesn't he leaves salt-traces on the sheets" he babbled on absentmindedly. "Steve!" Bucky eventually cut him off "what happened to you?" And Steve told him.

In the evening, after hours and hours of talking and catching up, they had dinner together in the cosy little study in the farthest reach of the bubble, with the spectacular view of the reefs, what Steve quickly revealed to be his favourite room of the bubble.

"So, you've been living in this little happy bubble with a royal mere and playing happy family" Bucky still didn't believe this, no matter how much proof he saw of it, but he was relieved either way. "Pretty much. You will get to live with the other humans in the main settlement around here, down by the mountainrange bottom segments". "But you live here, where the prince can play with you all he likes". Bucky did not even attempt to hide the scorn in his voice at this statement. He didn't like how much power this mere had over Steve, no matter how much his old friend spoke of love.

Bucky half expected Steve to look sad, and the other half angry, at that comment, but he actually laughed. "You've always been like that, worrying about me more than my mother. I should have known you wouldn't stop with that". And Bucky had to smile in return. Things might be very different, but Steve was just like he remembered, exactly; only very, very happy. And he could get used to that. Very easily.

"So, is he good to you then, this Loki?" he relented, smiling to let his friend know he'd play nice. "The best" Steve beamed in the way only he could, and Bucky felt it hard to be angry at the mere if he made is friend this content "I am very happy with him, Bucky". And James Barnes _almost_ believed him.

 _Steve's Pov_

Steve noted with fondness that Bucky worried just as much as he always had. No change there then. He had to admit that he wasn't very interested in what had happened in the village as a whole - no one he loved lived there any longer, now that Bucky was here.

What he was interested in, was hearing what Bucky's life had been like, and finally getting to talk freely with his best friend about Loki, a relationship which had been strictly secret the last time he had the opportunity to speak with Bucky. Not only had he missed him terribly, but they had parted with secrets, and Steve had always regretted that almost as deeply as the distance between them itself.

It was very late, and so much talk that they both started to feel slightly hoarse, that Loki came back, still accompanied by the mere-warrior Natasha's normal mere partner Clint. Steve took his time assuring Bucky that it was safe, before seeing Clint swim off with him, this time into the bubble which held the rest of Steve's family, instead of the oppressive structure further up which held prisoners, doomed to become whale, shark or giant octupus food.

"Good day?" Loki asked as Steve watched from his position leaning against the doorpost while his lover rinsed the salt from his hair. Steve smiled warmly, nodding. "A wonderful day. I have missed him so much. How was yours?" "Full of plans for the future. We will let your friend live down with the servants, same as your family, don't you worry". "I wasn't" Steve leaned into Loki the moment he was dry, the two of them going to bed together. "I trust you".


	14. Swim With Me

_And here it is - the final chapter! Now what am I supposed to do to pass the time?_

 _I hope you have all enjoyed this story, and please review!_

 _I mean no copyright infringement, and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!_

 _TapTap_

 _Three years later_

It was beautiful, Steve decided, saving that comment in his head for later, when he'd be able to tell Loki as much. Tony Stark, one of the great inventors of mere society, even if the man was a human himself, had recently perfected a small, portable device to allow humans to breathe outside of the magic bubbles. As a result, four years after first getting it for a view from his window, Steve could finally enter the royal mere castle. Much to the delight of his husband since just over a year and a half.

Odin had been surprisingly graceful about the fact of one of his precious heirs marrying a human, perhaps because Jane had done her bit in pacifying everyone about the succession by announcing she carried Thor's baby around the time of them announcing their engagement and intention to get married. She had given birth just under a year ago to a beautiful little girl with hazel eyes.

This was all very far from Steve's mind as he allowed Loki to show him everything he had spoken so lovingly about for years, the mere guiding his love and spouce through the halls and rooms, helping him stay upright as he half swam, half walked around the palace.

Bucky was not with them today, though he had said he would be happy to see the castle some other time; clearly, he didn't want to be a third wheel. No one could blame him; even after knowing each other for over six years, the pair could be really very lovey dovey.

They had gotten married in the observatory, with Thor and Bucky as best men, though it had taken over a year for Bucky to accept Loki after first meeting him. But the mere had been as patient as a saint, and they had eventually begun to get on. Steve had been relieved at that, as Bucky really could be even more protective than Loki was, which was a lot in the first place. Luckily, they seemed to have been able to finally bond over that fact.

Steve let Loki lead him to the private royal wing and his own room, smiling at Steve's obvious curiosity as he looked at the rooms his lover, his husband, had occupied for most of his life and still regularly stayed in when he wasn't with Steve, even if he spent the majority of his evenings and nights in their comfortable little bubble.

Steve spent some more time in the palace, taking in all the exquisite beauty, from the impressive statues to the living corrals forming flower arrangements in the great halls, before they went out into the castle gardens, where tiny seahorses swam over paths laid with natural stones and a multitude of waterliving plants painted the landscape in every perceivable colour.

Steve let himself float, letting Loki move them both along and point out his favourite sights and spots. Now that Steve was able to breathe down here - though too long or frequent trips would still wreck havoc with the pressure his body was under which made them unadvisable - there was little doubt they would do this again.

Afterwards, they dried off and had dinner with both their respective families, including Thor and their young niece, and other parts of Loki's extended family. As of late, it had grown increasingly common for them all to meet up like that, and very regularly, which Loki had explained was a common part of mere culture once young meres grew up and got families of their own, in short, reconnecting with all of the family once you grew up and ceased to be a rebellious young adult or teenager.

Their day ended, like so many day had done before, with a long bath in their private suite, with a long night of privacy before them and far away from anyone else. They then settled in, for a while before retiring to their big, comfortable bed, in the small study and just talked, holding hands, watching Steve's favourite view.

Loki told him, not for the first time, about the ocean and the creatures that lived there, about how corrals grow over the centuries and the fascinating lifecycles of everything from jellyfish to whales and how you best swim with sharks. Sitting there, shoulder to shoulder, hands entwined, they talked about everything, always, in trust and with love; and they lived happily ever after.


End file.
